This fall, Wake Forest University senior William Valtos is helping the museum build a database that pulls together the people, places, and events associated with the Wake Forest Plantation from 1820 to 1832. To learn more about William, we asked him to complete a short questionnaire.
Tell us about yourself.
Hello, I am William, I am a senior at Wake Forest planning to graduate in December after this current Fall semester. I am currently a Communications Major with a minor in Art History.
What interested you in this internship and what do you hope to learn?
Being able to gain first-hand exposure and experience in databasing and archiving is a skill that I have never trained in the past. There is also a definite sense that the work myself and the team will be embarking on is something that transcends just adding to a database. Our work will hopefully contribute to “re-writing” history, shining a light on historical events and people that have been either underrepresented or omitted entirely.
What are your personal historical interests?
I am greatly interested in pre-colonial and colonial Filipino history. I also am highly interested in Filipino art history.
What has been your favorite class at Wake Forest? What did you enjoy most about it?
My favorite classes at wake have been my Introduction to Art and Life in Renaissance Europe and my Introduction to Contemporary Art History classes. These classes were insightful and informative and the professors were very engaging. Wake has provided me with exposure to what it is like to learn about Art History and I am very fortunate that I have had incredible professors during my time here. I would also have to give an honorable mention to my Introduction to Contemporary Dance class which was the first time I was encouraged to be weird and overly expressive in a learning environment. It was incredibly liberating.
What are your plans after graduating from Wake Forest?
After I graduate from Wake Forest I plan to pursue a master’s in Art and Cultural Management in London. I am interested in working in Museums, however, am currently unsure of the role I would assume.
What’s one book you’ve read recently that you’d recommend to others and why?
I book that I have read over the past year that I considered to be quite transformative in terms of altering my perception of things is Females by Andrea Long Chu. It is a work that covers gender theory among other things and its “thesis” is that everyone is inherently female and we all hate it. I would recommend this book to anyone as long as you come in with an open mind.